Lovers, airport, goodbye kiss. Together these words did not make up a romantic story, but created an astonishing incident.

On January 3, at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Jiang Haisong, a 28-year-old Chinese overseas PhD student, trespassed into a restricted area in order to kiss his girlfriend goodbye.

This led to a six-hour closure of the airport and the delay of 100 flights and thousands of passengers' trips.

A goodbye kiss from an overseas Chinese student led to the paralysis of the US airport. The news soon caused a sensation and became a hot topic on the Chinese Internet. Netizens, with their usual gift for new coinages, even created "wentan" (kiss paralysis) to describe Jiang's behavior.

A growing China is now in the world's spotlight. And at the beginning of 2010, young Chinese students overseas were put under the lens.

Ten days after the "kiss paralysis" incident, Ye Qing, a 26-year-old Chinese overseas student, killed a female secretary at the University of Perpignan in France, stabbing three other people at the same time.

The incident provoked a strong reaction. French President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a statement the same day calling for a thorough investigation.

In recent years, more and more young Chinese have gone to study abroad to broaden their horizons, gain knowledge, and develop skills. However, after cases of murder, document falsification, and diploma purchase, this group has been much criticized.

Both Jiang and Ye will be tried under local laws. And with the coming of another round of Chinese leaving for foreign schools, their acts may provide some warning to their fellow students.

There are unique reasons for the troubles caused by Chinese overseas students.

For example, the "kiss paralysis" incident happened at the time when the US security system was in a state of extreme nervousness. The US just experienced a failed terrorist bomb attack at Christmas Day. Thus it was carrying out a re-assessment of airport security systems, and strengthening airport counter-terrorism measures.

In the Ye Qing murder case, the killer seem to have been suffering from a mental breakdown, and was taken to hospital afterward.
But there are also some common reasons for these troubles.

One reason is misinterpretation of the freedom and romance of life abroad.

Students often idealize foreign life, only to be faced with the harsh reality of relative poverty and tough study, which can cause culture shock. When they find it hard to get used to the new environment, tragedies may result.

Although the opening-up of China has allowed the young to learn more about Western culture, what they learn might not be authentic.

In the past, ideological pressures meant that Chinese media and government propaganda constantly slandered the West, but when this ended, some swung hard in the other direction, excessively worshipping Western freedoms.

On top of this, the glamor of Western entertainment, which naturally emphasizes excitement, adventure and glitz, can also lead to misunderstanding of Western culture.

Furthermore, with the development of Chinese economy, overseas study has become increasingly easy.

Without considering everything it takes to live abroad, students raised in rich families often think that money can handle everything, while the poorer ones are convinced that they can survive alone in a foreign land.

Excessive optimism and inadequate psychological preparation naturally result in irrational consequences.

Additionally, overseas students are under high pressures and lack ways to release them. In Chinese modern history, overseas students, whether they studied in Japan in 1900s or in the US in 1990s, were seen as potential saviors, bringing back foreign expertise to China. By now these ambitions have faded.

With the deteriorating employment situation for Chinese domestic university graduates, overseas students instead bear the pressures of seeking work overseas and representing the image of Chinese people.

As a result, some Chinese overseas students unable to complete their studies or to adapt to local culture still choose to stay abroad instead of coming home, unwilling to face the perceived shame of failure.

The biggest reason these troubles continue is the lack of proper preparation and care for overseas students. They should be given more realistic expectations, and prepared to face disappointments as well as successes.

Sources: Global Times, by Xiao Kailin